Starter control mechanism for gas engines



M y 2.9- 5. J. B OUGHTON' .9 w STARTEIRIGONTROIIJ MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES Filed July 3, 1924 :5 Sheets-Sheet amp nun Ill 'INVENTOR.

j 1929- 5. J. BOUGHTON 14.944

STARTER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES Filed July 3, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I... z 29 5E 8 I I l 'sei: /5

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STARTER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES Filed JuIy 3, 1924 V s Sheets-Sheet 3 Anmmmh Patented 'May 28, 1929.

UNITED, s

TATES- PATENT OFFICE.

BOLON J. BOUGHTON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE wILLYS-OVERLAND COM- ramr, or TOLEDO, 01110,

A CORPORATION OF HIO..

' STARTER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR OAS ENGINES.

Application fi led m a,

fly-wheel, except when the latter which will hold the latter open until such time as the Another object of the invention is'to employ'a circuit-breaker in a generator circuit which will become effective upon the starting of the generator, to actuate means adapted to prevent the closing of the starter switch while the engine is running.

Another object of the invention is to make 2 use ofa motor vehicle controldevice, such as a clutch release pedal, to become eflective for closing the starter switch after moving to clutch releasing; position, in combination generator ceases to produce'ourwith electromagnetic means for preventing the closing of said switch while the engine is runnlng. v

Other objects will appear from the description to follow, coverin certain embodiments of the invention, which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure I is a diagrammatic view illustratin one embodiment of the invention.

' ig. II is a sectional elevation of my impriived switch, taken on line IIII of Fig. II I I Fig. III is, a sectional elevation taken substantiall on line III-III of Fig. II.

F ig. I is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line IV.IV of Fig. III.

Fig.Visa diagrammatic view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention, and Figs. VI and VII are diagrammatic views of still another slightl y modified formof the invention, showing a single armature adapted to both control the generator circuit and to prevent the closing of the starter switch.

" Similar reference characters refer to correlates to starter cons for preventing v inion into engagement with the .1924. Serial No. 723,989.

responding arts throu hout theseveral views of the drawihg. g

Figs. and V, I have shown agenerator 10 which 1 s to be gared to an -internal combus taon engine (not f cuit-breaker 12, an annneter 13, and a starting motor 14 adapted to be thrown into driving connection with the engine, all of which are well-known in the art; A starting switch 15 of any desired ty e may be used, such as that shown in Figs. and V, and in detail in Figs. II, III and IV.

The starting switch is referabl laced in position to be actuated% y p y the clutch In the diagrammatic views of the drawings,

edal

shown), a battery 11, a cir "16, after the latter has been moved to c utch releasing position, though it may be mounted for movement independently of the clutch pedal. Closing of the switch is prevented whllethe en ine is running, by an armature 17, preferably in the form of an angularshaped lever pivoted intermediate its ends at 18, and normally held at inoperative position by a spring 19. In Fig. I, the armature is' shown moved into position to prevent the closing of the switch, the same being moved by an e c'ctro-magnet'20, as soon as the generator is started by the engine,rwhile in'the modification shown in Fig. V', the circuit: breaker 12is utilized to move. the lever and accomplish the same result. The single coil of the electro-magnet 20 is preferably one of comparatively heavy or low resistance wire. The armature 17 will be ulled up immediateupon the starting of t e generator and beore the circuit-breaker 12 in Fig. I is closed,

from the generator,-

the circuit then being through conductor 38, coil 20, conductor 39,

low resistance coil of circuit-breaker 12, high resistance coil of circuit-breaker 12, and I through ground back to the generator.

In Fig. V, the spring 19 is of such capacity as to permit the armature to be pulled up by the core of the magnet immediately upon the starting of the generator and before the speed of the engine is increased sufficiently to cause" the generator to close the circuit-breaker.

It will be seen that when -itis desired to. start the engine (not shown),-the operator may first release the clutch by depression of V the pedal 16, and that continued depression of the same will" close the switch to start the motor. The pedal then being released and leasing position.

i The construction of the switch 15, which may be operated directly by the foot or through the clutch pedal, as shown, will now be described. The several parts of the switch are enclosed in a casing comprising the upper and-low members 21 and 22, the former having "air-extension 23 in which is mounted the plunger. 24.- carrying the contact bar 25 units lower end, which is adapted to be moved into engagement with the contact members 26, preferably in the form of binding posts, as shown in Fig. II, and to which the wires the circuit between the motor and the batter through ground, asshown in Figs. I an V. The lunger 24 is normally held in the osition s own in-Fig. III by a spring sible sleeve 29 telescoped over the extension 30 23, while the lower end of the spring'rests' upon a plate 30 carried by the upstanding portion 31 of the casing member 21. .The contact; member 25 is insulated from the casing and from the plunger by the plates 32 and 33-sl1it r. ably connected with the plunger, as shown in Figs. II and III and formed of any suitable insulating material. The contacts 26 are insulated from the casing by the insulating plates 34and 35, asshown in Fig. II.

The clectro-magnet 20 for actuating the armature 17, is mounted within the switch casing, the spring 19 being interposed between the magnet and the outer end of the armature to normally hold the latter in the position shown in Fig. III, the armature being limited in its movement by a stop 36 connected with the casing. The ends of the coil of the magnet are connected to suitable binding posts 37 carriedbythe upper member 21 of the casing, the posts being also adapted to receive the ends of the?wires38 and 39, extendingbetween the generator and circuit-breaker, as shown in Fig. I, the circuit-breaker being connected withthe battery through the ammeter by the wires 40 and 41, return being through ground, as indicated. P In the modification shown in Fig. V, the circuit-breakeris conveniently located atthe point of the starting switch, thus making it possible to dispense with the electro-magnet- 20 disclosed inFig. I. The current in this caseflows from generator to battery through wire 42, circuit-breaker 12, wire43, ammeter 13 and wire 44 while the engine is running ,above a predetermined speed." At slower 27 are connected for completing speeds the current flows from thegenerator through both coils of the circuit-breaker and through ground ,back to the generator.

The upstanding which, when the armature is in the position portion of the armature 17 is provided with an insulating plate 45,

shown in Fig. V, except that a single armature 46is adapted to both'close the generator 4 circuit and to prevent closing of the starter switch while the engine is running. In'this modification, the armature 46 is normally in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. VII, that is, before the engine is started. In this position of the armature, the starter switch 15 mayreadily be closed by depression of thepedal 16, whereby to" start the motor 14.. -'*As soon asthe engine is startedby the motor, the generator, coupled with th'eengine", will begin operation. The initial speed of the engine at starting is not very agr'eat, but is suflicient to cause the generator 28, t e upper end of which engages a depresto magnetize the coil of the circuit-breaker to such an extent that it will move the armature 46 from the dotted line position shown in-%Fig. }VII, into engagement with the spring 47, butnot 'far enough to cause the contact plate 48 of the armature to engagethe contacts 49. CHowever, in this position, the armature has been moved sufliciently far to prevent? the closing of the starter switch 15. As the speed of the engine increases above a predetermined rate, the armature will befurther pulled'up by the magnet, against the action ofthe spring 47 until the Contact plate 48 engages the contacts 49, as shown in Fig. VI, and will remain in this position until the speed of the engine drops below said predeterminedrate. When the engine is "stopped, the armatureis returned to the dotted line positon, preferably by a weight 50 located thereon at the left of the pivot-point 51 thereof. Thus, it will be'seen that by the details of construction illustrated and described, except in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims. I i

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, an electric control system for; an explosive engine including a generator, a circuit-breaker operated by said generator and an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a switch for clos1ng said circuit, and mechanical means ac- 1 generator and a ole, an electric starting motor,

- ing member movable tuated by said circuit-breaker upon the starting'of t 1e generator closing of the switch.

2. In combination, an electric starting mo tor for an explosive engine, a current supply source for the motor, a normally open circuit between the motor and supply source, a switch for closing said circuit, a generator geared to said engine, an electro-magnet in the connection between the generator and supply source, a clutchreleasing member adapt-- ed to close said switch subsequent to its movement to clutch releasing position, and means adapted to be actuated by said electro-magnet whereby the movement of the clutch releasing member is reduced and the closing of the switch is prevented while the engine. is running.

3. In combination in an automotive vehigenerator, electrical connections between said motor and battery and between said generator and battery, a circuit-breaker included inthe connection between the generator and battery, a normallyopen switch in the connection between the motor and battery, a clutch releas-' to close. said switch subsequent to its movement to clutch releasin position, and means adapted to be actuated by. said circuit-breaker upon the starting of-the generator, whereby the movement of the clutch releasing member is reduced and the closingof theswitch is prevented while the engine is running.

4. In combination with an electric control system for an explosive engine including a generator, a circuit breaker connected thereto, an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a manually operated switch for closing said circuit mounted adj acent said circuit-breaker, and means whereby the functioning of the circuit-breaker affects the mechanical operation of said switch.

' 5. In combination with an electric, control system foran explosive engine includin a generator circuit, an e ectro-magnet, an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a switch for adaptedto prevent the a battery, a

'hicle, including an engine,

, said switch, and electro-magneticall the generator circuit, an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a switch for closing the starter, circuit, an electro-magnet, and means operated by-the electro-magnet-for closing the generator circuit switch and mechanically preventing the closing of the starter circuit switch. I

'Z. In combination with an electric control system for an explosive engine including a generator and a generator circuit, an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a switch" for closing the starter circuit, .an electro-magnet,. and an armature therefor acting as a switch to close said generator circuit and mechanically locking the starter switch.

8. In'conibination with an electric control system for an explosive engine including a generator and a generator circuit, an electrically operated starter having a normally open circuit, a switch for closing the starter circuit,

a magnetically operated and a third position in which the generator:

circuit is open and the starter switch un-' locked.

armature acting as a g switch for said generator c1rcu1t, sa-1d arma- 9. In combination with an automotive -ve- I an electric generator-,a generator circuit, an electric starting motor, a battery, an electric circuit between said battery and said motor, a switch within said starter circuit, a clutch pedal adapted to move beyond clutch releasing position to close ated means in said generator circuit venting motion of said clutch clutch releasing position.

or prepedal beyond 'oper-- In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.-

- s'oLoN J. BOUGHTON. 

